GOAA CEO Phil Brown cuts the ceremonial ribbon commemorating the dedication of a floating solar array at Orlando International Airport. With him are (from far left) OUC Commissioner Britta Gross and OUC General Manager & CEO Clint Bullock, and (from far right) GOAA Board Commissioner Rafael Martinez and OUC Board Commissioner Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.
It’s “our glowing dedication to renewable energy,” announced OUC General Manager & CEO Clint Bullock while remarking on the symbolism of a 19,350-square-foot solar array floating on a pond near Orlando International Airport’s (OIA) new Terminal C.
“Today’s floating solar unveiling is another major step along the journey toward a sustainable future for generations to come,” added Bullock, who joined, on Dec. 10, GOAA CEO Phil Brown and OUC Board member Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer in celebrating the clean-energy platform behind them. Flanked by photovoltaic panels as ceremonial props, the three took turns touting the floating solar project as a statement of the city’s commitment to sustainability.
OUC partnered with the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) and the City of Orlando to install the solar island, which generates 123 kilowatts of clean energy, enough to power 14 homes. Shaped like the airport’s “O” logo, the array is highly visible ― even at night because it’s illuminated ― to travelers flying out of or into OIA.
In the past 10 years, OUC has installed 123 megawatts of utility-scale solar, enough to power more than 20,000 typical Florida homes, and plans to more than double its solar capacity in the coming years.
“Solar is a critical part of meeting our strategic goal of achieving Net Zero Carbon emissions by 2050, with interim reduction goals of 50% by 2030 and 75% by 2040,” Bullock told ceremony attendees.
In 2017, OUC became the first utility in the country to install a floating solar array, placing it on a pond at the Gardenia Operations Center.
